Tennessee safety investigators are probing the death of a worker at the Resolute Forest Products paper mill in Calhoun, Tenn.
Resolute Forest Products spokesman Seth Kursman said the man was employed by Chattanooga-based Jake Marshall LLC, a mechanical contracting company. He did not release the man's identity.
Kursman said an investigation is ongoing to determine what caused the accident last Friday that led to the worker's death.
Jennifer Farah, a spokeswoman for the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development, said Jake Marshall LLC is a subcontractor at the paper mill and that investigators were sent to the site on Saturday.
She said the investigation could take six months at the plant that makes specialty and commercial paper products.
Jake Marshall LLC declined comment on Monday.
The company's website said it has worked with Resolute, formerly known as Bowater, for over 20 years, and the last 10 as a on-site contractor. The company said it uses its expertise to help insure a continuous operation at the mill.
"Whether it is working on exotic metals in process piping, installing new, or moving existing equipment, all types of structural fabrication to the basic plumbing and HVAC requirements, we are committed to insure quality, on-time completion and under budget in every aspect of their operation," the website says.
According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Resolute's Calhoun plant was cited three times in a complaint on Feb. 2 of this year.
Farah said the citations involve the use of a crane at the site. Penalties of $5,600 have been proposed, she said, and the case remains open.
"We don't know how they'll respond," Farah said.
Just last week, Resolute officials announced a $270 million expansion at the mill and it plans to add 105 more workers to the 550 who already are employed at the site. The investment is to make tissue for paper towels and toilet paper, company officials said.
Contact Mike Pare at mpare@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6318.